Avail an Interior Designer | Op-Ed

Thoughts from the staff of Cyrus Artisan Rugs on the use and role of Interior Designers.

The profession of Interior Design is the art of coming up with a visually appealing and functional scheme for a room or building’s interior so as to uplift it in terms of aesthetic and functionality. According to a thesis by Amany Hendy of Damietta University titled ‘The Positive effects of Interior Design for Human Psychological Health’, one of the facets that moderate the affective states of humans is the overall look and feel of their surroundings. When people are pleased with the arrangement of their environment, they experience a morale boost and are much more likely to report higher levels of happiness as opposed to those who dwell in banal vacuum-like settings which do not speak to them aesthetically. For this reason, the role of the Interior Designers is of much greater importance than what the majority of people would have us believe.

Interior Designers are usually compared to Architects in a bad light, often scorned upon and downsized as the insignificant players in the field. This is typically so because people maintain a lot of misconceptions about what Interior Designers actually do; a condition which is unfortunately made even worse by the rampant underrepresentation and misrepresentation of the profession in modern-day media. Television programs portray the discipline as something akin to only putting finishing touches on for beautification or as something to be done ‘on a dime.’ In reality, Interior Designers are trained, schooled, and accredited professionals who are knowledgeable regarding safety, functionality, and accessibility requirements (to name but a few) and execute plans to maximize a space in those respects.

From the perspective of rug and carpet professionals one of the most overlooked aspects of an interior’s characteristics is its flooring. Although we don’t necessarily scan a room floor first, the first tactile interaction we have with any given space is when we step on its floor. So for us rug and carpet enthusiasts, collaborating with an Interior Designer is worth more than you may think.

You’ll get to know what you really want.

We all own, purchase, or plan to buy luxury rugs for different reasons. Our motivations however, aren’t always available in our immediate conscious unless probed for more detail. If we really think about our thought processes when we make a purchase, we’ll find that each procurement is anchored on emotions. That is why a common tactic in advertising is marketing the product by endorsing the feelings it elicits, and not expounding on the actual details and merits of an item.

An example of a traditionally styled so-called Persian carpet from the selection of Cyrus Artisan Rugs. No matter the style of carpet one might imagine, an Interior Designer can help discern your true needs and wants allowing for optimal end results. | Image courtesy of Cyrus Artisan Rugs.

People may hastily associate luxury carpets only to the sense of prestige it exudes, but passionate enthusiasts know there is more to each weave and manner of construction. Some people are genuinely appreciative of a certain culture regardless of whether or not it’s their own, while others take pride in acquiring pieces because of their rarity. Then there are those who are simply drawn in by the distinct aesthetic lavish handmade carpets bring to the table.

For whatever reason you may have in procuring luxury carpets, you’ll want an expert’s opinion to showcase them to their fullest extent. Although you may have a vision of what you want in mind, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and lose track of where you’re headed. As such, you may become less meticulous of seemingly insignificant details and end up making decisions that you’ll later on regret. With an Interior Designer, you disperse responsibilities intelligently, thus freeing yourself to stay rooted to the more sentimental aspects of your vision.

In addition, Interior Designers are armed with a working understanding of psychological concepts that help them discern what would truly satisfy your needs and wants. Their professional advice goes well beyond just how to choose appropriate color schemes and patterns, but covers how you can gloriously highlight your chosen furnishes for guests to notice as well. This means they’ll help tap into the emotional origins of your purchases and come up with plans which bear these in mind. With their expertise, you may find vintage Persian rugs hung up on the wall instead of tucked under your living room seating group – doing so would spark great conversations as to how you came about such prized possessions. Or maybe a beloved heirloom would be placed inside your bedroom to give a more pronounced sense of home. Whatever the value you place in a rug, you will be delighted to discover how you can bring out the best of what you really want with a professional by your side.

Expand your horizon and get your money’s worth.

The process of choosing the right pieces is an overwhelmingly daunting task that could take ages to complete. If you don’t already own the carpets you want in your room, chances are, you’ll spend countless hours just going through potential suppliers, let alone their potentially intimidating inventories. An Interior Designer saves your valuable time by being a repository of resources. Experienced designers usually have a bank of contacts and connections that readily direct them to places where you can avail any sort of fixture – including of course rugs and carpets. They may even lead you to discover new shops that cater specifically to your taste, or surprise you with fresh options you might have never considered. In short, it is their job to add polish and sophistication to your own unique style.

By seeking help from a licensed professional, you are guaranteed to have the best choices laid out in front of you and get the best out of your hard-earned savings. Moreover, they offer a degree of protection from scammers and fake goods since they are well informed as how to choose trustworthy retailers and craftsmen; their work after all is built upon trusted relationships of all manner.

Preserve your luxury rugs through strategic placement.

As previously alluded to, the role of the Interior Designer is usually pegged as something that can be done by anyone who has a knack for design. While an inherent natural affinity for design is indeed required of the best designers, the notion that ‘anyone’ can do the work is extremely false and does a disservice to the name of certified Interior Designers who have spent years studying to get their degree. An education in the field of Interior Design requires students to take courses in art history, ethics, computer-aided drawing, building codes, and structural integrity among others.

Having gone through an extensive period of study, degree holders develop a deeper understanding of how to improve a space in such a way that would effectively accommodate its users. What’s more, graduates mature into proficient workers who are aware of the value of items often viewed as a novelty or afterthought such as luxury carpets. Because of this, they will stop you from making even the slightest mistakes that could potentially damage your keepsakes, and will even go as far as to give you advice on how to maintain them.

Working with both a trained Interior Designer and a reputable rug and carpet dealer offers a degree of customer satisfaction not likely to be found otherwise. For example the tandem pair can advise the best possible solution to an aesthetics dilemma including which colour or colours best accentuate the design of a carpet. | Shown here is a visualization of a carpet design in a soothing Ivory/Blue combination. | Image courtesy of Cyrus Artisan Rugs.

Working with both a trained Interior Designer and a reputable rug and carpet dealer offers a degree of customer satisfaction not likely to be found otherwise. For example the tandem pair can advise the best possible solution to an aesthetics dilemma including which colour or colours best accentuate the design of a carpet. | Shown here is a visualization of a carpet design in a rich and warm Gold/Taupe combination. | Image courtesy of Cyrus Artisan Rugs.

For example, a competent Interior Designer would never allow you to nail a fine handmade Persian carpet to a wall as it would cause the weight of the entire carpet to pull on the fibres of the rug and ruin them irreversibly. An expert would also opt to avoid laying down your exceptionally unique and personally valued carpets in high-traffic areas such as dining rooms or in doorways so as to prevent stains and other forms of wear associated vandalism. In either situation solutions exist which allow for both wall display and functional carpets underfoot, and it is an Interior Designer who knows how to facilitate the desired end result.

Avail yourself the expertise of an Interior Designer.

On your own, it’s easy to miss fine details which could result in catastrophic less ideal events in the future. When it comes to luxury carpets, the last thing you want is a careless lapse in judgment that would put thousands of dollars down the drain. Although it may seem counterintuitive to employ an extra pair of hands by way of an Interior Designer in order to save money, that’s exactly what should be done to make sure you get the best long-term result out of your dream redecoration. Accept that not everything can be done by sheer intuition and take advantage of a powerful tool at your disposal — an expert Interior Designer.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: This article appears in accordance with the Op-Ed submission policy of The Ruggist and is presented without compensation of any kind paid on the part of either Cyrus Artisan Rugs nor The Ruggist. It is published with the intent of fostering dialog and conversation for the betterment of the handmade and decorative rug and carpet industry.]

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The Ruggist is the premier online source for insightful news, commentary, and ephemera on the rug and carpet industry. Written not only for industry, but for Designers, Architects, and Well Informed Consumers, The Ruggist delivers up to the moment critique, opinion, and editorial relevant to today's rug and carpet market.

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